Jaecoo E5 Review & Prices

The Jaecoo E5 is the latest battery powered SUV to arrive from China, and it’s the all-electric brother to the just-launched, petrol-powered Jaecoo 5. Jaecoo is a pretty new brand here, but it’s making cars that are nabbing headlines for their value, and for looking a lot like Land Rovers – the Jaecoo 7 has been a huge sales hit.

The Jaecoo E5 bears a resemblance to the Range Rover Evoque, particularly down the sides and at the back. The slim brake lights, the sloped roof, the clean lines; it’s all very similar – but for a fraction of the price.

Up front, the Jaecoo E5 looks quite different to the standard Jaecoo 5, because this electric version has a blanked-off face, instead of the huge ‘waterfall’ grille of the petrol model.

It’s maybe less striking than the grilled version, and it does make the E5 look like one of those copyright-avoiding, generic-looking cars from car insurance ads. You’d be hard pressed to pick it out in a lineup were it not for ‘Jaecoo’ written across the front in big letters.

Jaecoo E5: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 248 miles
Efficiency: 4.0 miles per kWh
Battery size: 61.1kWh
Max charge speed: 80kW
Charge time AC: 8hrs 10mins (7.4kW)
Charge time DC: 27min (30-80%)
Charge port location: right front
Power outputs: 207hp

Inside, the Jaecoo E5 gets a 13.2-inch touchscreen, in upright ‘portrait’ form with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Other kit includes all-round parking cameras, a Sony sound system and plenty of assistance kit.

If the Jaecoo 7 is anything to go by then the E5 should be quality enough inside for the price, but it’ll have to be good to compete with the likes of the MG S5. The boot has a useful capacity, holding 480 litres, which puts it second in line only to the Ford Puma Gen-E in the small electric SUV class when it comes to stuffing in luggage.

The Jaecoo E5 uses a 207hp electric motor driving the front wheels, powered by a 61kWh battery pack. That’s good enough for a claimed range of 248 miles, which is about average among alternatives, and a bit more than you’d get from a Puma Gen-E, although the MG S5 EV will run for 298 miles, at least on the official claim.

One disappointing aspect of the E5 is its charging speed — a maximum 80kW on DC fast chargers means you’ll be hanging around a bit on longer journeys. Most cars in this class can manage to charge at 100kW or better.

At least you do get vehicle-to-load charging for powering other devices, and there’s a ‘pet mode’ that keeps the air conditioning going on a warm day.

The Jaecoo E5 has decent performance, with 0-62mph taking a reasonable 7.7 seconds. Jaecoo also reckons that the E5 is a pukka off-roader, with ground clearance and slope-climbing ability to match a Jeep Avenger.

We’ll put that to the test once we’ve driven it soon, but in the meantime you can get a great price with Carwow’s Jaecoo E5 lease deals. You can also browse other Jaecoo deals as well as used Jaecoos from our network of trusted dealers. Carwow can help you sell your old car, too.

As with most of the newly-arrived Chinese brands, Jaecoo is hoping that some tempting prices will lift the E5 over the recognition barrier.

The Ford Puma Gen-E is a bit cheaper with the government’s EV grant applied, but the fact the Jaecoo E5 has a little more range seems like a good start. However, it should be remembered that the Puma has one of the lowest range figures in its class, so perhaps that’s not as impressive as it looks at first.

The MG S5 EV is possibly a better match, and while it’s a more expensive car than the Jaecoo in base form, with less range, go for the higher-spec Long Range model and the prices aren’t that different to the E5 Luxury version, at which point the MG can go further on a charge.

Or, you could go for something smaller and get the excellent Renault 4 E-Tech, which matches it for range, has way more style, and is pretty much as cheap (albeit with less standard equipment).